Rossa To

My name is Rossalean To and I am in my first year studying a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Commerce double degree.

I chose to study Commerce and Law because I’m still not 100% sure what I want to do after uni, and I want the opportunity to be able to keep as many options open while figuring it all out. Initially, throughout high school, I wanted to study medicine. But after a week of work experience in a hospital, I realised that needles and blood wasn’t for me!

I always had an interest in law, but it wasn’t until after I completed a week at a law firm that I realised how much I loved it. Although I am still unsure of what kind of law I will practice in, I hope to work in the field one day. Having a commerce degree to complement my law degree also means that my opportunities are doubled, so I’m looking forward to seeing where the next few years take me. Something will work out!

Being part of events like Open Day have really helped me to settle into life at university.

A whole new world - getting the study/life balance right

Being the first to go to university in my family meant that I had to learn everything first hand. Uni is extremely different to high school; from the way classes are structured, the way content is delivered, and even the way that the assessments are undertaken.

For me, it was a pretty big (and scary) jump from high school to university, however a lot of the programs and clubs on offer have helped to make the transition a (relatively) smooth one. Both orientation and being a part of the Business Schools PAL program helped me to make friends and have been great at providing support for any questions that I’ve had about uni life in general.

I personally find university a lot more stressful academically than high school, but at the same time so much more enjoyable! It’s great to have some independence, and despite the amount of pressure that I’m sometimes under to complete all of my assessments on time, having friends who are also going through the same pressures and stress has really helped. Being able to participate in university events is also a great de-stresser and one of the best feelings ever!

Competitive world of table tennis

I used to compete in table tennis competitively but unfortunately had to stop due to VCE. With my flexible university hours, I now have a bit of spare time and have been able to fit table tennis back into my schedule, which is awesome!

Table tennis is both a hobby and a passion for me, so it’s important for me to make time for it so that I don’t let my table tennis skills go to waste. To help get my skills back up, I tried out for the Monash table tennis team.

Tryouts consisted of round robin matches between other club members to select the best players. I was so excited to find out that I made the university team, and even prouder when I went on to represent Monash at the Victorian University Games, held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on Sunday 11 September.

The day was so much fun and, as a team, we cheered and supported each other throughout the day, and even made friends with some of our rivals! We ended up coming second (tied with Melbourne University) overall, which was awesome!

I totally recommend playing a sport and competing in team events (even if it’s just for fun and not competitively). Not only do you make friends, but, if you’re lucky, you may also get to travel for your sport.